In a barbecue shop less than 100 square meters, Ma Tianyong is rushing to finish his "lunch", even though it is almost 6:00 pm. As the owner of the shop, he has to squeeze out time to finish it before the next surge of customers arrives.
Ma Tianyong, 52, works among the tables and chairs in Xiaoma Barbecue Shop on his special electric wheelchair every day.
Born with polio, he is unable to walk like a normal person. However, the handicap doesn't prevent him from making a living.
Ma Tianyong made up his mind to feed himself when he was young. In 1981, he set out on crutches to search for a job. After numerous rejections, he was employed by a barbecue shop owner who was touched by his self-reliance.
For the first time, Ma Tianyong realized he could earn his own bread by working hard. In the shop, he was willing to do all of the dirty work. In the meantime, he picked up the skills of barbecuing.
Soon after, Ma Tianyong was skillful enough to start his own business—a barbecue stall near the Tacheng City Park.
However, fate threw more obstacles his way. When his business was on the up-and-up, another misfortune befell him all of a sudden.
One day in October 2006, Ma Tianyong collapsed in a market while he was shopping. When he came to himself after being rescued, he was told that he would spend the rest of his life with hemiplegia induced by a brain infraction. Since then, he can only move on his electric wheelchair.
With his eyes on the cook rolling the meat on the grill and spreading the spices, Ma Tianyong looks somewhat upset. "That was my job before I got hemiplegia", he says.
It was a tough time for him, and it was his family that supported him as he got over it. Ma Tianyong's younger brother came to help him get up, roll over and take baths. He also carried him downstairs to walk around every day.
Then his wife Li Xuehua took over the task of carrying him out. For all these years, she has taken care of Ma Tianyong carefully and carries him on her back to the places his electric wheelchair can't reach.
Although he has suffered a lot, he tries his best to concentrate on his business. With his constant efforts, his business continues to bloom. Now, his two younger brothers operate the Xiaoma Barbecue Shop with him, it has two branches and hires dozens of employees.
Ma Tianyong's new target is to buy an apartment with an elevator in it. "Thus my wife will not have to carry me out on her back every day," he says softly, looking at his wife.
